International Politics ///

EU-Russian relations after Sotchi. The recent European Union-Russia seminar, held in the pleasant, sunny Black Sea resort of Sotchi, Russia, was no summer vacation for both sides. The meeting was tense, and the gap between European and Russian positions on the Energy Charter Treaty looked impossible to bridge.
For some people, this was to be expected after last January’s “natural gas war” between Ukraine and Russia. Nevertheless, whatever mild or strong words were exchanged between delegations, the very idea of European countries breaking up with Russia on energy doesn’t have much of a future. The possibility that Russia would completely ignore Europe and fully switch to Asian consumers doesn’t sound very realistic.
Interlinking. It is impossible to ignore to what extent decisions taken in Europe depend on ones taken in Russia and vice-versa. One example is Germany’s decision to move out of nuclear energy.